Method for producing a light emitting diode arrangement, and light emitting diode arrangement

ABSTRACT

A method for producing a light emitting diode arrangement. A plurality of LED modules ( 110, 120, 130 ) are provided, which in each case comprise at least one radiation emitting semiconductor component ( 1000 ) on a carrier body ( 1300 ). At least one separately fabricated connection carrier ( 200 ) is provided. The LED modules are arranged in such a way that they are adjacent to one another in pairs. A mechanically stable and electrically conductive connection between the carrier bodies of two LED modules is produced by means of the connection carrier. Furthermore, a light emitting diode arrangement is disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims the priority of German PatentApplications 10 2006 045 690.4 filed Sep. 27, 2006 and 10 2007 003 809.9filed Jan. 25, 2007, the disclosure content of both of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for producing a light emitting diodearrangement, and to a light emitting diode arrangement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Linear light emitting diode arrangements are known, in which a pluralityof light emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged in a series on a commoncircuit board. The spatial arrangement and the electricalinterconnection of the light emitting diodes is fixedly predetermined bythe common circuit board in the case of these light emitting diodearrangements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a particularly flexible andeasily modifiable method for producing a light emitting diodearrangement, and also an individually configurable light emitting diodearrangement.

This and other objects are attained in accordance with one aspect of thepresent invention directed to a method for producing a light thatcomprises the steps of:

providing a plurality of LED modules, which in each case comprise atleast one radiation emitting semiconductor component on a carrier body;

providing at least one separately fabricated connection carrier;

arranging the LED modules such that they are adjacent to one another inpairs; and

producing a mechanically stable and electrically conductive connectionbetween the carrier bodies of two LED modules by means of the connectioncarrier.

The light emitting diode arrangement therefore comprises at least twoLED modules. The main planes of extension of the carrier bodiespreferably run in a common plane or at least parallel to a common plane.In a plan view of said plane, the LED modules are arranged in a row. Inother words, the light emitting diode arrangement comprises an, inparticular linear, chain of LED modules.

The spatial relationships specified below between the LED modules and/orbetween an LED module and the connection carrier, unless explicitlyspecified otherwise, should be understood in plan view of the commonplane.

In the present context, a radiation emitting semiconductor componentcomprises at least one radiation emitting semiconductor chip based on aninorganic semiconductor material and/or at least one layer stackcontaining at least one organic layer, for example based on at least onepolymer and/or low-molecular-weight material (“small molecules”). Thesemiconductor chip and/or the organic layer stack is provided forgenerating electromagnetic radiation. Preferably, the semiconductor chipand/or the layer stack generates electromagnetic radiation in thevisible spectral range, for example white light. In one advantageousembodiment, the semiconductor chip and/or the layer stack isencapsulated, for example in a component housing.

The following embodiments are described in each case for LED modulescomprising one radiation emitting semiconductor component. However, theyapply correspondingly to LED modules comprising a plurality of radiationemitting semiconductor components.

In order to produce the connection between a first and a second LEDmodule, adjacent to the first LED module, the connection carrier ispreferably arranged between the two LED modules. By way of example, aconnection carrier having a predetermined length is provided. In thiscase, the length of the connection carrier is in particular the extentof the connection carrier in the direction from the first to the secondLED module after arrangement between the LED modules.

The embodiments described below for two adjacent LED modules and oneconnection carrier preferably apply to a plurality of LED modules andconnection carriers, in particular to all LED modules and connectioncarriers of the light emitting diode arrangement.

In an advantageous manner, the length of the connection carrier can bechosen essentially freely. Thus, the method can be used to producedifferent light emitting diode arrangements with different distancesbetween the LED modules. In contrast to conventional light emittingdiode arrangements, a completely new design of the light emitting diodearrangement is not required for this purpose. Rather, the differentlight emitting diode arrangements are advantageously constructed in asimple and cost-effective manner from components which are preferablystandardized. In particular, only a small number of different componentsis necessary.

Without any change at the LED modules themselves, it is possible toproduce for example light emitting diode arrangements having a smalldistance between the individual radiation emitting semiconductorcomponents, and other light emitting diode arrangements having a largedistance between the radiation emitting, semiconductor components. Alight emitting diode arrangement in which the LED modules have differentdistances depending on the position in the light emitting diodearrangement is also conceivable. Since for example only the length ofthe connection carriers has to be changed for all of these differentlight emitting diode arrangements, the method for producing the lightemitting diode arrangement is advantageously particularly flexible andeasily modifiable.

By way of example, the connection carrier to be provided is fabricatedwith a predetermined length. As an alternative, it is possible toprovide a carrier tape or a carrier plate which has, in particular, along length and from which a segment having the predetermined length isseparated during the method, said segment constituting the connectioncarrier or being processed further to form the latter.

In an advantageous manner, the distance between the two LED modules canbe chosen essentially freely and is expediently fixed at the desiredvalue by the predetermined length of the connection carrier which canlikewise be chosen practically freely.

In one embodiment, the electrically conductive connection between thetwo LED modules is produced in such a way that the radiation emittingsemiconductor component of the first LED module and the radiationemitting semiconductor component of the second LED module are connectedin series. In one variant of this embodiment, three or more radiationemitting semiconductor components arranged, in particular, on three ormore LED modules that are adjacent in pairs are connected in series.

As an alternative or in addition, in one embodiment, the electricallyconductive connection is produced in such a way that a plurality of LEDmodules or groups of LED modules are connected in parallel.

Thus, a particularly simple adaptation of the light emitting diodearrangement to a power supply device provided for the operation of thelight emitting diode arrangement is obtained by means of the productionmethod. In this case, all or at least a majority of the LED modules usedare advantageously independent, for example, of the supply voltage madeavailable by the power supply device during operation. The methodtherefore advantageously involves constructing light emitting diodearrangements for different power supply devices with identical, inparticular standardized, components—for example identical LED modules—,such that the components can be produced in large numbers and theirproduction is therefore particularly cost-effective.

In one advantageous embodiment, the light emitting diode arrangement, inparticular each group of LED modules, contains at most three differenttypes of LED modules that are selected from the group consisting of astart module, a central module and an end module. To put it another way,each LED module is associated with a type of LED modules constructed intype-identical fashion and the light emitting diode arrangementpreferably contains at most three different types of LED modules.

By way of example, the group of LED modules comprises a start moduleonly, a start module and an end module adjacent to the start module, ora start module, at least one central module and an end module. Thecentral module or the central modules is/are arranged between the startmodule and the end module.

In one embodiment, the radiation emitting semiconductor component of thestart module is electrically connected to a first electrical terminalprovided for connection to the external power supply device. By way ofexample, a supply voltage is made available to the light emitting diodearrangement by the power supply device by means of the first terminalduring operation.

The radiation emitting semiconductor component of the end module ispreferably electrically conductively connected to a second electricalterminal likewise provided for connection to the electrical power supplydevice. By way of example, the second electrical terminal is grounded bymeans of the power supply device during operation.

In addition, the radiation emitting semiconductor component of the startmodule is preferably connected in series with the radiation emittingsemiconductor component of that LED module of the group of LED moduleswhich is adjacent in the direction towards the end module and/or theradiation emitting semiconductor component of the end module isconnected in series with the radiation emitting semiconductor componentof that LED module of the group of LED modules which is adjacent in thedirection towards the start module.

The radiation emitting semiconductor component of the central module ispreferably connected in series both with the radiation emittingsemiconductor component of the LED module that is adjacent in thedirection of the start module, and with the radiation emittingsemiconductor component of the LED module that is adjacent in thedirection of the end module.

In particular, therefore, all of the radiation emitting semiconductorcomponents of the group of LED modules are connected in series. If theLED modules of a group of LED modules in each case comprise a pluralityof radiation emitting semiconductor components, then the latter arepreferably connected in series in groups, a group of radiation emittingsemiconductor components connected in series preferably containing atleast one radiation emitting semiconductor component from each LEDmodule of the group.

In one embodiment of the method, two LED modules are arranged at apredetermined distance adjacent to one another. In a further, forexample subsequent, method step, the connection carrier is arrangedbetween the two LED modules. In one advantageous embodiment, theconnection carrier is arranged in such a way that a first edge region ofthe connection carrier is adjacent to or overlaps a first edge region ofthe carrier body of the second LED module, and in such a way that asecond edge region of the connection carrier is adjacent to or overlapsa second edge region of the carrier body of the first LED module.

Expediently, at least one electrical terminal in each case, butpreferably a plurality of electrical terminals, are formed in the firstedge region and in the second edge region on the carrier body and on theconnection carrier.

By way of example, a connection layer is applied in the first and/orsecond edge region on the connection carrier and/or the carrier body ofthe first and/or second LED module, which connection layer imparts anadhesion between the connection carrier and the carrier body or betweenthe connection carrier and/or the carrier body and a separate connectionelement when the connection is produced.

In one embodiment, the first edge regions of the connection carrier andof the second LED module and the second edge regions of the connectioncarrier and of the first LED module overlap. In an alternativeembodiment, it is provided that the connection carrier overlaps only thecarrier body of one of the LED modules or none of the carrier bodies.

This last is expedient, for example, if producing the mechanicallystable and/or the electrically conductive connection comprises producinga plug connection. By way of example, in one embodiment, a plug and asocket, which are fixed to the carrier body of one of the LED modulesand/or to the connection carrier, are provided as connection element inthe case of the plug connection for producing the mechanically stableand/or electrically conductive connection.

In another embodiment, a flexible connection is produced between theconnection carrier and at least one of the adjacent carrier bodies whichthe connection carrier does not overlap, in particular. By way ofexample, the connection carrier is connected to the carrier body bymeans of a connection element in the form of a film hinge. A film hingecomprises a flexible circuit board, for example, and, in oneadvantageous embodiment, is connected to the connection carrier and thecarrier body in such a way that an electrically conductive connection isproduced between at least one electrical terminal of the connectioncarrier and an electrical terminal of the carrier body. A flexible lightemitting diode arrangement is advantageously produced in this manner.The configuration of the electrically conductive connection, for examplein this embodiment, is also conceivable as crimp or pinch connection.

Particularly if the first and/or second edge regions of the connectioncarrier and of the carrier body or carrier bodies overlap, at least ineach case one electrical terminal on the carrier body and an electricalterminal on the connection carrier expediently overlap as well.Expediently, in this case the electrical terminals are arranged on amain face of the connection carrier and a main face of the carrier bodyand the connection carrier is arranged between the two LED modules insuch a way that the main faces of the carrier bodies which have theelectrical terminals and the main face of the connection carrier whichhas the electrical terminals face one another.

In one embodiment, the connection layer is electrically conductive. Itcontains for example a soldering metal such as SnAgCu, AuSn and/or Sn.As an alternative, it can have an electrically conductive adhesive, forexample an epoxy-resin-based adhesive containing metal particles, forinstance silver particles. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be curedby means of application of heat or electromagnetic radiation, inparticular UV light. The electrically conductive connection layer isexpediently applied in partial regions that are electrically insulatedfrom one another, or is structured after application to form partialregions that are electrically insulated from one another. By way ofexample, a partial region of the connection layer is applied to arespective electrical terminal.

In this way, the connection layer advantageously produces anelectrically conductive connection between an electrical terminal of thecarrier body of the first and/or second LED module and an electricalterminal of the connection carrier.

In one advantageous embodiment, the production method comprises heatingand/or melting the connection layer. By way of example, the connectionlayer is heated and/or melted by means of a heated stamp which isarranged in the first and/or second edge region and, in particular, isbrought into contact with the carrier body or the carrier bodies and/orthe connection carrier and is preferably pressed onto them (it). Forproducing a connection by means of a connection layer containing anadhesive, a stamp which is not heated but rather which is only broughtinto contact with the carrier body or the carrier bodies and/or theconnection carrier and is preferably pressed onto them (it) may also beexpedient.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the method, the connection layeris heated and/or melted in the first edge region by means of a firstheated stamp and in the second edge region by means of a second heatedstamp. By way of example, the two stamps are arranged on a common mount.

The distance between the stamps is expediently adapted to the length ofthe connection carrier. The distance can preferably be set for differentlengths of the connection carrier. By way of example, the mount isformed in adjustable fashion for this purpose, such that the stamps canbe shifted on the mount in such a way that their distance changes. As analternative, the mount can for example also have a plurality of fixingdevices by means of which the stamps can be connected to the mount atdifferent positions, such that different distances can be set.

In one advantageous embodiment of the method, a plurality of pairs ofLED modules are connected at the same time. By way of example, for thispurpose, alongside the first and the second heated stamp, at least onethird heated stamp, in particular likewise at the common mount, isprovided and/or at least one heated stamp is provided for heating and/ormelting the connection layer in a plurality of edge regions, for examplein one first and one second edge region, in two first and/or two secondedge regions.

In one particularly advantageous embodiment of the method, a pluralityof light emitting diode arrangements are produced at the same time, forexample by a plurality of LED module chains being processed alongsideone another. A particularly efficient and cost-effective production isthus possible.

In one advantageous embodiment, the light emitting diode arrangementcomprises at least one LED module having a control device. Inparticular, each group of LED modules comprises an LED module, forexample the start module, having a control device. The control device isprovided for driving the radiation emitting semiconductor component ofthe LED module and, in particular, produces the electrical connectionbetween the radiation emitting semiconductor component and the firstelectrical terminal provided for connection to the external power supplydevice.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the control device is additionallyprovided for driving at least one further radiation emittingsemiconductor component that is arranged, in particular, on a further,preferably adjacent, LED module. By way of example, the radiationemitting semiconductor components driven by the control device areconnected in series or are connected in series in groups.

In one expedient embodiment, at least one LED module of the lightemitting diode arrangement has an electrical terminal region by means ofwhich electrical energy is fed to the light emitting diode arrangementby a power supply device during operation.

In one preferred embodiment, the connection carrier has at least oneconductor track for electrically conductively connecting two adjacentLED modules. Preferably, the connection carrier and/or the carrier bodycomprises a circuit board, for example a printed circuit board (PCB).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1C show schematic plan views of a start module, a centralmodule and an end module for a method for producing a light emittingdiode arrangement in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment,

FIGS. 2A to 2C show schematic plan views of various connection carriersfor the production method in accordance with the first exemplaryembodiment,

FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a carrier tape in accordance withone variant of the first exemplary embodiment,

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show schematic plan views of a light emitting diodearrangement in different stages of the production method in accordancewith the first exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 7 shows a schematic plan view of a light emitting diode arrangementin one variant of the production method in accordance with the firstexemplary embodiment in the stage of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 shows a schematic plan view of a light emitting diode arrangementin a further variant of the production method in accordance with thefirst exemplary embodiment in the stage of FIG. 5,

FIG. 9 shows a schematic plan view of a plurality of light emittingdiode arrangements in a production method in accordance with adevelopment of the first exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 10 shows a schematic plan view of a light emitting diodearrangement in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 11 shows a schematic plan view of a light emitting diodearrangement in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 12 shows a schematic cross section through an excerpt from a lightemitting diode arrangement in accordance with a fourth exemplaryembodiment,

FIG. 13 shows a schematic cross section through a part of a lightemitting diode arrangement in accordance with a fifth exemplaryembodiment,

FIGS. 14A to 14C show LED modules for a light emitting diode arrangementin accordance with a sixth exemplary embodiment,

FIG. 14D shows a connection carrier for a light emitting diodearrangement in accordance with the sixth exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Similar or similarly acting constituent parts are provided withidentical reference symbols in the figures. In any case, the elementsillustrated in the figures and their size relationships among oneanother should not be regarded as true to scale, rather individualelements may be represented with an exaggerated size, for example, forthe sake of better representability and/or for the sake of betterunderstanding.

In a first exemplary embodiment of the method according to the inventionfor producing a light emitting diode arrangement, three different types110, 120, 130 of LED modules are provided.

The LED modules 110, 120, 130 have a carrier body 1300, on which aradiation emitting semiconductor component 1000 is fixed.

The radiation emitting semiconductor component of at least one LEDmodule 110, 120, 130, preferably of all the LED modules 110, 120, 130 ofthe light emitting diode arrangement, is a light emitting diode, forexample. In the present case, the semiconductor component 1000 inoperation emits electromagnetic radiation that generates a white colourimpression. In a further embodiment, the radiation emittingsemiconductor component contains a plurality of semiconductor chips thatemit visible light of different colours, for example red, blue and/orgreen colour. Preferably, the semiconductor chips are provided for beingdriven separately by the control device 1400, for example. A lightemitting diode arrangement 1 whose colour impression can be alteredduring operation of the light emitting diode arrangement 1 is thusobtained.

In the present case, the carrier bodies 1300 have a square orrectangular form in a plan view of their main plane of extension. At twomutually opposite sides of the rectangle or square, in edge regions1110, 1200, electrical terminals 1100, 1120, 1130 and 1210, 1220, 1230,respectively, are formed on a first main face 1301 of the carrier body1300.

Two electrical terminals 1110, 1130 in the first edge region 1100 areelectrically conductively connected to a respective electrical terminal1210, 1230 of the second edge region 1200, for example by means of arespective electrical contact strip 1401, 1402—for example a conductortrack. The electrical terminals 1110, 1210 and 1130, 1230 and theassociated contact strips 1401, 1402 are suitable for providing a supplyvoltage, which is fed into the light emitting diode arrangement by anexternal power supply device during operation via an electrical terminalregion of one of the LED modules 110, 120, 130, at the rest of the LEDmodules 110, 120, 130 of the light emitting diode arrangement as well.In an advantageous manner, a plurality of LED modules or groups 140 (seeFIG. 4) of LED modules 110, 120, 130 can thus be operated in parallelconnection with only one electrical terminal connection to an externalpower supply device.

The LED module 110 shown in FIG. 1A represents a start module for agroup 140 of LED modules 110, 120, 130. It has a control device 1400,for example, which is provided for supplying the radiation emittingsemiconductor component 1000 with power during operation of the lightemitting diode arrangement. For this purpose, the control device 1400 iselectrically conductively connected to the first contact strip 1401, forexample by means of a conductor track 1403. In the present case, it isalso electrically conductively connected to the second contact strip1402.

Usually, light emitting diodes are not connected directly to a powersupply like a battery or the AC line voltage. Rather, connection ismade, for example, via a resistor, a diode, a voltage-limiting device,rectifier or a combination of at least two of these. Further, a devicecan be used that is suitable for turning on and off the light emittingdiode, for example by generating a pulsed current, and/or for dimmingthe light emitting diode, for example via pulse-width modulation. Suchfunctionality can be implemented using either individual electroniccomponents or integrated circuits. The control device 1400 is meant toincorporate such functionality. In the figures, the control device 1400contains one element which resembles an encapsulated microchip 1400A,but this is only to be regarded as an example.

A first electrical terminal of the radiation emitting semiconductorcomponent 1000 is connected to the control device 1400 by means of afurther conductor track 1403. A second electrical terminal of theradiation emitting semiconductor component 1000 is electricallyconductively connected to an electrical terminal 1220 in the second edgeregion 1200 of the carrier substrate 1300. In FIG. 1A, the conductortrack 1403 that is connected to electrical terminal 1220 passes under,but not in electrical contact with, microchip component 1400A which ispart of control device 1400.

The second LED module, illustrated in FIG. 1B, is a central module. Incontrast to the LED module 110 in FIG. 1A, it does not have a controlunit 1400, but rather only a radiation emitting semiconductor component1000 having two electrical terminals, of which the first is connected toan electrical terminal 1120 in the first edge region 1100 and the secondis connected to an electrical terminal 1220 of the second edge region1200. However, there is no electrically conductive connection betweenthe radiation emitting semiconductor component 1000 and the first or thesecond contact strip 1401, 1402.

In contrast thereto, in the LED module 130 in accordance with FIG. 1C—anend module—, the second electrical terminal of the radiation emittingsemiconductor component 1000 is connected to the second contact strip.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C, the method involvesproviding a plurality of connection carriers 200. By way of example, aconnection carrier has a rectangular or square cross section in a planview of its main plane of extension. The connection carrier 200 has twomutually opposite edge regions 2100, 2200 in a plan view of its mainplane of extension. In the present case, the side length of the sides ofthe connection carrier 200 which are encompassed by the edge regions2100, 2200 matches the side length of the sides of the carrier body 1300of an LED module 110, 120, 130 which are encompassed by the edge regions1100, 1200.

The edge regions 2100, 2200 in each case have a plurality of electricalterminals 2110, 2120, 2130 and 2210, 2220, 2230 on a first main face 201of the connection carrier 200. A contact location 2110, 2120, 2130 ofthe first terminal region 2100 is in each case connected to a contactlocation 2210, 2220, 2230 of the second edge region 2200 in anelectrically conductive manner, for instance by means of a conductortrack 210.

The connection carrier 200 has a predetermined length L in the directionfrom the first edge region 2100 to the second edge region 2200.Connection carriers having different lengths L are suitable for themethod. Thus, as an example, FIG. 2A shows a connection carrier 200having a length L=20 mm, the length L of the connection carrier in FIG.2B is L=30 mm, and the length L of the connection carrier 200 inaccordance with FIG. 2C is 40 mm. Connection carriers having otherlengths L, for example 10 mm, 14 mm, 15 mm or 50 mm, are likewiseconceivable.

Instead of a connection carrier 200 having a predetermined length L, acarrier plate or a carrier tape 20 having for example a plurality ofelectrical connection means such as conductor tracks can also beprovided (cf. FIG. 3). Individual connection carriers 200 having apredetermined length L are then separated from the carrier tape or thecarrier plate 20 in an additional method step. The carrier tape or thecarrier plate 20 is produced in an arbitrary, in particular long,length, such that a large number of connection carriers 200 can beproduced from a carrier tape or a carrier plate 20, which is also knownas a “quasi-continuous method”.

In a subsequent method step, two LED modules 110, 130 are arranged insuch a way that their main planes of extension are at leastsubstantially parallel and the second edge region 1200 of the first ofthe two LED modules 110 is adjacent to the first edge region 1100 of thesecond of the two LED modules 130 (cf. FIG. 4). The connection carrier200 is subsequently arranged between the two LED modules 110, 130 insuch a way that its main plane of extension is likewise substantiallyparallel to the main planes of extension of the LED modules 110, 130.Furthermore, the arrangement is effected in such a way that the secondedge regions 1200, 2200 of the first LED module 110 and of theconnection carrier 200 and the first edge regions 1100, 2100 of thesecond LED module 130 and of the connection carrier 200 overlap and theelectrical terminals 1110, 1120, 1130 and 2110, 2120, 2130 and,respectively, 1210, 1220, 1230 and 2210, 2220, 2230 face one another andlikewise overlap—in particular pairwise—in a plan view of the mainplanes of extension. In FIG. 4, therefore, the connection carrier 200 isrotated by 180° about the axis A relative to the illustration in FIG. 2Aand the first main areas 1301, 201 of the carrier bodies 1300 and of theconnection carrier 200 face one another.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a connection layer is arranged onthe electrical terminals 2110, 2120, 2130, 2210, 2220, 2230 in the edgeregions 2100, 2200 of the connection carrier 200. In the present case, aconnection layer is also arranged on the electrical terminals 1110,1120, 1130 of the first edge region 1100 and on the electrical terminals1210, 1220, 1230 of the second edge region 1200 of the carrier bodies1300. After the production of the connection between the connectioncarrier 200 and the first and second LED module 110, 130, the connectionlayers impart the adhesion between the connection carrier and the LEDmodules. Electrically conductive connection layers, for instance tinlayers and/or solder layers, having SnAgCu or AuSn, for example, arepreferably involved. The thickness of the connection layers is forexample in each case between 10 and 100 μm, the limits being included.

Afterwards, the connection layers are melted and in particular fusedtogether by being heated by means of two heated stamps 310, 320 (FIG.5). In this case, the first stamp 310 is positioned in such a way thatit covers the second edge region 1200, 2200 at least partly, butpreferably completely, in a plan view of the main planes of extension ofthe LED modules 110, 130 and of the connection carrier 200. The secondstamp 320 correspondingly covers the first edge region 2100, 1100.

In the present case, the connection carrier 200 is situated between thestamp 310, 320 and the LED module 110, 130 during the production of theconnection. As an alternative, the LED module 110, 130 can also besituated between the connection carrier 200 and the heated stamp 310,320.

The heated stamp 310, 320 is pressed onto the connection carrier 200 orthe LED module 110, 130. Thus, in an advantageous manner, a particularlygood heat transfer is obtained and the connection layers are meltedrapidly. Moreover, as a result of the stamp 310, 320 being pressed on, aparticularly well fitting and stable connection is advantageouslyproduced between the connection carrier 200 and the LED module 110 or130.

The stamps 310, 320 are heated by means of a resistance heatingarrangement, for example, which converts electrical current into heat bymeans of an in particular ohmic resistance and is arranged for examplewithin the stamps.

In an alternative embodiment, the connection carrier 200 and/or at leastone of the carrier bodies 1300 have a connection layer having anelectrically conductive adhesive such as silver conductor adhesive, thatis to say in particular an epoxy resin based adhesive filled with silverparticles. A stamp 310, 320 can likewise be provided in this embodiment,by means of which for example the connection carrier 200 and the LEDmodule(s) 110, 130 are pressed onto one another. The stamp 310, 320 neednot be heated in this embodiment, but a heated stamp 310, 320 can alsobe provided, for example for thermally curing the adhesive.

In the present case, the stamps 310, 320 are provided for connecting afirst and a second edge region 1100, 2100 and 1200, 2200 at the sametime. For this purpose, each of the stamps 310, 320 comprises two stampstrips 3110, 3120 and 3210, 3220, respectively, the distance betweenwhich is chosen such that it corresponds to the distance between thefirst edge region 1100 and the second edge region 1200 of an LED module110, 120, 130.

In the present case, the distance between the first stamp 310 and thesecond stamp 320 can be set for different lengths L, L′ of theconnection carrier 200 (cf. FIGS. 5 and 7). Thus, light emitting diodearrangements having different distances between the LED modules 110,120, 130 can be produced by means of the same stamps 310, 320, that isto say for example in the same production installation, withoutcomplicated changes to the latter being required.

The distance between the heated stamps 310, 320 can be set for exampleby shifting the stamps 310, 320 on a mount 300. As an alternative or inaddition, the distance between two stamps can be set by using a variablenumber of stamps, for example a stamp being fixed or omitted at apredetermined position of the mount. By way of example, the first stamp310 and the second stamp 320 have a distance which is suitable forproducing a connection by means of a connection carrier 220 having afirst length L′, for example 50 mm. In order to produce a light emittingdiode arrangement with connection carriers having a length L of 14 mm,for example, a third heated stamp 330 is arranged between the firststamp 310 and the second stamp 320 (see FIG. 8), such that the distancebetween the first stamp 310 and the third stamp 330 and the distancebetween the third stamp 330 and the second stamp 320 are suitable foruse with connection carriers 200 having a length L of 14 mm, forexample.

The production of the mechanically stable and electrically conductiveconnection is repeated with further LED modules 110, 120, 130 andfurther connection carriers 200 until the light emitting diodearrangement 1 has been completed with the desired number of LED modules110, 120, 130.

The light emitting diode arrangement 1 produced by the method inaccordance with the first exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. 6. Itcomprises groups 140 of LED modules 110 and 130. In the light emittingdiode arrangement in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment,each group of LED modules comprises a start module 110, which in thepresent case comprises the control device 1400 alongside the radiationemitting semiconductor component 1000, and an end module 130, theradiation emitting semiconductor component 1000 of which is electricallyconductively connected to the second contact strip 1402. The radiationemitting semiconductor component 1000 of the end module 130 iselectrically conductively connected to the radiation emittingsemiconductor component 1000 of the start module by means of theconnection carrier 200 and by means of the central electrical terminals1120, 2120, 2220 and 1220 and also by means of conductor tracks 1403.The two semiconductor components 1000 are therefore connected in series.

In addition, the first contact strips 1401 of the LED modules 110, 120,130 are electrically conductively connected by means of the connectioncarriers 200. Likewise, the second electrical contact strips 1402 of theLED modules 110, 120, 130 are electrically conductively connected to oneanother. In this way, the individual groups 140 of LED modules 110, 120,130 are connected in parallel.

In a preferred development of the first exemplary embodiment of themethod, a plurality of light emitting diode arrangements 1 are producedat identical times. This is done for example by arranging a plurality oflight emitting diode arrangements 1 alongside one another, that is tosay perpendicular to the direction of the chains of LED modules, duringthe production of the mechanically stable and electrically conductiveconnection (FIG. 9). By way of example, the first and the second heatedstamp 310, 320 extend over a plurality of light emitting diodearrangements 1, such that when the stamps 310, 320 are pressed on bymeans of the mount 300, connection carriers of a plurality of lightemitting diode arrangements are connected to the respectively adjacentLED modules.

Whereas in the light emitting diode arrangement in accordance with thefirst exemplary embodiment, each group 140 of LED modules 110, 120, 130comprises only a start module 110 and an end module 130, a group 140 ofLED modules 110, 120, 130 in the light emitting diode arrangement inaccordance with the second exemplary embodiment, which is illustrated inFIG. 10, additionally comprises a central LED module 120. The radiationemitting semiconductor components 1000 of the start module 110, of thecentral module 120 and of the end module 130 are connected in series bymeans of the two connection carriers 200, 200′.

The control unit 1400 is dispensed with in the second exemplaryembodiment. Instead, the radiation emitting semiconductor component 1000of the start module 110 is electrically conductively connected directlyto the first contact strip 1401 by means of a conductor track 1403.

The lengths L, L′ of the connection carriers 200 and 200′ are differentin the present case. The radiation emitting semiconductor components 100of adjacent LED modules 110, 120, 130, for example, therefore havedifferent distances in the present light emitting diode arrangement 1.

In the light emitting diode arrangement 1 in accordance with the thirdexemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11, each group 140 of LEDmodules comprises a plurality of central LED modules 120. In the presentcase, each group 140 of LED modules comprises two central LED modules120. In this exemplary embodiment, too, the radiation emittingsemiconductor components 1000 of a group 140 of LED modules 110, 120,130 are connected in series.

In contrast to the light emitting diode arrangement 1 in accordance withthe previous exemplary embodiments, the connection carriers 200 in thefourth exemplary embodiment do not overlap the LED modules 110, 120, 130between which they are arranged (cf. FIG. 12). Rather, they are spacedapart from said modules, such that a gap 6 remains between a carrierbody 1300 and an adjacent connection carrier 200. A connection element5, a film hinge in the present case, is arranged in the first edgeregion 1100 of the carrier body 1300, the gap 6 and the second edgeregion 2200 of the connection carrier 200, and in the second edge region1200 of the carrier body 1300, the gap 6 and the first edge region 2100of the connection carrier 200. The first main face 1301 of the carrierbody 1300 and the first main face 201 of the connection carrier 200 facethe film hinge 5—and not one another—in this exemplary embodiment.

The film hinge 5 comprises a flexible circuit board, for example, whichis printed with electrically conductive structures such as conductortracks which electrically conductively connect in each case anelectrical terminal 1110, 1120, 1130 of the first edge region 1100 ofthe carrier body 1300 to an electrical terminal 2210, 2220, 2230 of thesecond edge region 2200 of the connection carrier 200, and in each casean electrical terminal 1210, 1220, 1230 of the second edge region 1200of the carrier body 1300 to an electrical terminal 2110, 2120, 2130 ofthe first edge region 2100 of the connection carrier 200.

The mechanically stable and electrically conductive connection isproduced for example—as in the previous exemplary embodiments—in theedge regions 1100, 1200, 2100, 2200 by means of one or a plurality ofheated stamps 310, 320, 330.

The LED modules 110, 120, 130 of the light emitting diode arrangement 1in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment are not connected bymeans of a process comprising the melting of a connection layer.Instead, as illustrated schematically in FIG. 13, a plug connection 5 isformed between mutually adjacent edge regions 1200, 2200 andrespectively 1100, 2100 of the LED module 110, 120, 130 and of theconnection carrier 200 (cf. FIG. 13). The edge regions 1200, 2100 andrespectively 1100, 2200 engage in depressions 50 of the plug connector5. By way of example, mechanical fixing elements 510, for instancecatches, are provided in the depressions 50 and engage in depressions inthe carrier body 1300 and in the connection carrier 200, as illustratedby way of example in the right-hand region of FIG. 13. The electricallyconductive connection is produced in the present case by means ofmetallic springs 520 which electrically conductively connect electricalterminal regions 2210, 2220, 2230 and respectively 2110, 2120, 2130 ofthe connection carrier 200 and electrical terminal regions 1110, 1120,1130 and respectively 1210, 1220, 1230 of the carrier body 1300 to oneanother.

LED modules 110, 120, 130 for a light emitting diode arrangement 1 inaccordance with a sixth exemplary embodiment are shown in FIGS. 14A, 14Band 14C. In contrast to the previous exemplary embodiment, each LEDmodule 110, 120, 130 in accordance with the sixth exemplary embodimentcontains a plurality, three for example, of radiation emittingsemiconductor components 1000.

The LED module 110 shown in FIG. 14A is a start module and has a controldevice 1400B provided for example for driving the three radiationemitting semiconductor components 1000 arranged on the LED module.

The edge regions 1100, 1200 of the LED modules 110, 120, 130 haveadditional electrical terminals 1140, 1150, 1240, 1250, such that eachof the radiation emitting semiconductor components 1000 can beindividually electrically contact-connected.

The connection carrier 200 (cf. FIG. 14D) likewise has additionalelectrical terminals 2140, 2150, 2240 and 2250, such that anelectrically conductive connection is produced from each of theelectrical terminals 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150 of the first edgeregion 1100 of an LED module 110, 120, 130 to one of the electricalterminals 1210, 1220, 1230, 1240, 1250 of the second edge region 1200 ofan adjacent LED module 110, 120, 130.

The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments by thedescription on the basis of said exemplary embodiments. Rather, theinvention encompasses any new feature and also any combination offeatures, which in particular comprises any combination of features inthe patent claims, even if this feature or this combination itself isnot explicitly specified in the patent claims or exemplary embodiments.

1. A method for producing a light emitting diode arrangement comprisingthe steps of: providing a plurality of LED modules, which in each casecomprise at least one radiation emitting semiconductor component on acarrier body; providing at least one separately fabricated connectioncarrier (200); arranging the LED modules such that they are adjacent toone another in pairs; and producing a mechanically stable andelectrically conductive connection between the carrier bodies of two LEDmodules by means of the connection carrier.
 2. The method according toclaim 1, in which the connection carrier is provided with apredetermined length.
 3. The method according to claim 1, in whichproviding the connection carrier comprises separating a segment having apredetermined length from a carrier tape or a carrier plate.
 4. Themethod according to claim 2, in which the distance between two adjacentLED modules after producing the connection is determined by the lengthof the connection carrier.
 5. The method according to claim 1, in whichthe electrically conductive connection is produced in such a way that aplurality of radiation emitting semiconductor components are connectedin series.
 6. The method according to claim 1, in which the electricallyconductive connection is produced in such a way that a plurality of LEDmodules are connected in parallel.
 7. The method according to claim 1,in which a first and a second LED module are arranged at a predetermineddistance and the connection carrier is arranged between the two LEDmodules in such a way that, after arranging the LED modules and theconnection carrier, a first edge region of the second LED module and ofthe connection carrier are adjacent to or overlap one another, and insuch a way that a second edge region of the first LED module and of theconnection carrier are adjacent to or overlap one another.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, in which producing the connection comprisesproducing a plug connection.
 9. The method according to claim 1, inwhich at least one element of the group consisting of the connectioncarrier, the carrier body of the first LED module, and the carrier bodyof the second LED module has in at least one region of the groupconsisting of its first edge region and its second edge region aconnection layer provided for imparting an adhesion between theconnection carrier and the carrier body.
 10. The method according toclaim 9, in which producing the connection comprises heating and/ormelting the connection layer.
 11. The method according to claim 10, inwhich producing the connection comprises an adhesive bonding process.12. The method according to claim 11, in which the connection layercontains an electrically conductive adhesive.
 13. The method accordingto claim 10, in which producing the connection comprises a solderingprocess.
 14. The method according to claim 10, in which the connectionlayer is heated and/or melted by means of a heated stamp.
 15. The methodaccording to claim 14, in which the connection layer is heated and/ormelted in the first edge region by means of a first heated stamp and theconnection layer is heated in the second edge region by means of asecond heated stamp.
 16. The method according to claim 15, in which thedistance between the two stamps is adapted to the length of theconnection carrier.
 17. The method according to claim 16, in which thedistance between the two stamps can be set for different lengths. 18.The method according to claim 15, in which the two stamps are arrangedon a common mount.
 19. The method according to claim 7, in which themechanically stable and electrically conductive connection is producedby means of a film hinge.
 20. The method according to claim 19, in whichthe film hinge comprises a flexible circuit board.
 21. The methodaccording to claim 1, in which a plurality of pairs of LED modules areconnected at the same time.
 22. The method according to claim 1, inwhich a plurality of light emitting diode arrangements are produced atthe same time.
 23. A light emitting diode arrangement comprising aplurality of LED modules, wherein the LED modules are adjacent to oneanother in pairs; wherein each LED module comprises at least oneradiation emitting semiconductor component on a carrier body; andwherein the carrier bodies of in each case two adjacent LED modules aremechanically stably fixed to one another and electrically conductivelyconnected to one another by means of a separately fabricated connectioncarrier.
 24. The light emitting diode arrangement according to claim 23,in which the distance between two adjacent LED modules is predeterminedby a length of the connection carrier.
 25. The light emitting diodearrangement according to claim 24, in which the length of the connectioncarrier can be chosen freely.
 26. The light emitting diode arrangementaccording to claim 23, in which the connection carrier adjoins oroverlaps the carrier body of one of the LED modules in a first edgeregion.
 27. The light emitting diode arrangement according to claim 26,in which the connection carrier adjoins or overlaps the carrier body ofa further one of the LED
 28. The light emitting diode arrangementaccording to claim 23, in which the LED modules are arranged in aseries.
 29. The light emitting diode arrangement according to claim 23,in which at least one LED module comprises a control device provided fordriving the radiation emitting semiconductor component.
 30. The lightemitting diode arrangement according to claim 29, in which the controldevice is additionally provided for driving at least one furtherradiation emitting semiconductor component.
 31. The light emitting diodearrangement according to claim 23, in which two radiation emittingsemiconductor components are connected in series.
 32. The light emittingdiode arrangement according to claim 31, in which the two semiconductorcomponents are arranged on adjacent LED modules.
 33. The light emittingdiode arrangement according to claim 23, in which at least one LEDmodule has an electrical terminal region by means of which electricalenergy is fed to the light emitting diode arrangement during operation.34. The light emitting diode arrangement according to claim 23, in whichthe connection carrier has at least one conductor track for theelectrically conductive connection of the LED modules.
 35. The lightemitting diode arrangement according to claim 23, in which the carrierbody and/or the connection carrier comprises a circuit board.
 36. Thelight emitting diode arrangement according to claim 23, in which theconnection carrier is soldered and/or adhesively bonded to the carrierbody of at least one of the LED modules.
 37. The light emitting diodearrangement according to claim 23, in which the mechanically stable andelectrically conductive connection is flexible.
 38. The light emittingdiode arrangement according to claim 37, in which the connection carrieris connected to the carrier body of at least one of the LED modules bymeans of a film hinge.
 39. The light emitting diode arrangementaccording to claim 23, in which each LED module is associated with onetype of LED modules which are constructed in type-identical fashion, andwhich comprises at most three different types of LED modules.